Bio
Eiko Kano, Violin
Described as an artist with “electrifying intensity and lyrical expression” by Kyoto Newspaper and a “mesmerizing interpreter” by Friends of Music Magazine, Japanese violinist Eiko Kano is acclaimed for her dynamic, deeply expressive performances.
Eiko maintains a vibrant international career as a soloist and chamber musician, collaborating with distinguished artists including Albrecht Mayer (principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic), Eugene Drucker (Emerson Quartet), and Ani Kavafian. She is also a passionate advocate for contemporary music, working closely with living composers and premiering new works.
Eiko first rose to prominence in Japan after winning 1st Prize at the All Japan Student Music Competition at age 11. Her early recognition extended beyond the concert stage—she was widely praised for her dual role as violinist and lead actress in a television drama based on the life of legendary violinist Hisako Tsuji. A pivotal moment in her development came after a masterclass with Isaac Stern, who praised her performance and personally invited her to return the following year.
She later received 2nd Prize and the Kuroyanagi Prize at the prestigious Japan Music Competition, and 3rd Prize at the 4th Tokyo International Music Competition. Her sensational performances caught the attention of the legendary violinist Ruggiero Ricci, who invited her to study with him in Assisi and Salzburg on full scholarship.
Eiko has performed recitals in major cities across Japan and has appeared as a soloist with the Nagoya Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic, Telemann Chamber Orchestra, and Vienna Mozart Chamber Orchestra. She has received numerous scholarships and awards, including from the Asahi Beer Arts Foundation, the Rohm Music Foundation, the Aoyama Award, and the Forval Foundation. Through the latter, she was granted the use of the Stradivarius "Rainville" violin, formerly owned by Norbert Brainin of the Amadeus Quartet.
Eiko currently serves as: Assistant Concertmaster of the Grammy Award–winning Albany Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster and Artistic Advisory Board Member of Pegasus: The Orchestra and Concertmaster of Modus Operandi Orchestra (MOO)
She is also a regular performer with the New York Philharmonic, and has toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under maestros Zubin Mehta and Lorin Maazel.
Eiko holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Glenn Dicterow, Yoko Takebe, Lisa Kim (New York Philharmonic), Chieko Sogabe, Kazuki Sawa, and Kenneth Cooper (chamber music).
In 2016, she launched A Manhattan Story—a unique concert series combining original storytelling and violin performance. The first two CDs in the series, Winter (2017) and Spring (2018), were both featured on Japan Airlines international flights.
In 2019, Eiko was loaned the Stradivarius “Wilhelmj” violin by the Nippon Music Foundation. That year, she gave a widely acclaimed performance of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins with Glenn Dicterow and Pegasus: The Orchestra in New York City, and released a visually stunning video of Bach’s Chaconne filmed at Kyoto’s historic Eikando Temple.
Inspired by her physicist father, Eiko is deeply interested in the intersection of the arts and sciences. In 2020, she was appointed Music Ambassador of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Foundation (OISTF), and in 2022, became Honorary Music Director at OIST. Her innovative 10th anniversary concert at OIST featured Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, performed on four different Stradivarius and Guarneri del Gesù violins.
In 2025, Eiko founded the nonprofit organization Shining Blue Dot NY, driven by her belief in the unifying, transformative power of music and the arts to nurture understanding, love, and hope for our planet.
